"I think he's getting better and better as he's playing" - Paul Annacone on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has endured a stop-start season thus far but should not be counted out at the French Open later this month, according to Roger Federer's former coach Paul Annacone.
Speaking on the podcast Tennis Channel Inside-In, Annacone said the lack of match practice for the World No. 1 ahead of the second Major of the year wouldn't be much of an issue.
"He's fine. I think he's getting better and better as he's playing," Annacone said. "These are all-time greats, icons, they are not all of a sudden not be great and as long as they keep their composure and think their way through it, there's no reason."
Annacone also picked the favorites for Roland Garros, putting Rafael Nadal at the top of his list, followed by Djokovic and rising superstar Carlos Alcaraz.
"In my mind, Rafa is the favorite, Novak is the second, Alcaraz is third because they are known entities," he said. "As far as Novak is concerned, his form is getting better and better and we saw it against Stan Wawrinka, he's hitting the ball really well."
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Thank you 🧁! Thank you all for being on this journey with me thus far! ❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Blessed and privileged to have reached this milestone and hoping for many more victories to come 💪🏼😃
See you tomorrow Roma IDEMO !!
📸: Alex Pantling / Julian Finney #IBI22 https://t.co/cgWNaW7n1Q
"A lot can happen" - Paul Annacone suggests that Novak Djokovic's performance in the Rome final might affect his French Open preparations
Novak Djokovic is through to the final of the 2022 Italian Open, where he will square off against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Serb could extend his lead at the top of the rankings by 400 points if he wins the title clash. He lost out to Nadal in last year's final.
During the interview, Annacone spoke about how the climax of the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome might affect Novak Djokovic in Paris.
"A lot can happen. That's why there is seven matches in a Major, we'll see what happens in the rest of the week in Rome and we'll see who comes out on top there," Annacone said.
1000 Wins.
1 @DjokerNole. https://t.co/cQguLbCQQ6
Djokovic came into the Rome Masters on the back of a semi-final exit in Madrid at the hands of Alcaraz. The World No. 1 has had an exceptional week in the Italian capital, seeing off the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud en route to the final.